


March

by yeaka



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Ficlet, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-25 02:37:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20716715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Noctis needs to pay more attention to things that matter.





	March

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy XV or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

Ignis makes a large portion of Noctis’ dinners, a fair number of his lunches, and on occasion, even his breakfasts. On Friday morning, he cooks Noctis a number of golden brown pancakes that don’t taste _quite_ normal. They’re still delicious, but Noctis isn’t surprised when he sees the box in his recycling bin and realizes they were vegan. He’s more annoyed when he realizes Ignis secretly shaved cucumbers into them. Ignis’ defense is: “You wouldn’t have even known if you hadn’t seen the leftover zucchini.”

Noctis does a double take inside his fridge. “You put zucchini in it too?”

Having finished loading up the dishwasher, Ignis closes it and straightens, only to fix Noctis with a supremely disappointed look. “I’d thought you were kidding. Noct, you’re much too old to not be able to tell the difference between a cucumber and a zucchini.”

Noctis’ cheeks heat. “It doesn’t matter, because I don’t like either of them.”

Ignis rolls his eyes and brushes past Noctis, exiting the kitchenette. He has a number of papers strewn across the dining table that he was reading during breakfast. When he starts collecting a few and slipping them back into his briefcase, Noctis figures their time together is over. Which is fine, because he has someone else to hang out with instead. Ignis is a great friend, but he comes with hidden vegetables and won’t get Noctis off during video games. While Ignis attends to his myriad of paperwork, Noctis wanders into his bedroom and pulls out his phone. 

The line rings, and Prompto answer, _“Hello?”_

“Hey, can you come over? Gladio canceled training this morning, so I’m all free.”

Normally, Prompto’s immediate answer would be: Sure! And then he’d show up on Noctis’ doorsteps within the hour, smiling delightedly and ready with a kiss. So it strikes Noctis as odd when Prompto doesn’t answer right away. After a very conspicuous moment of indistinguishable background noise, Prompto says, _“Look, uh... sorry. I’m kind of busy right now. Maybe in a few hours...?”_

A dog barks behind Prompto. Then someone shouts something that Noctis can’t make out—wherever Prompto is, it’s loud. It prompts Noctis to ask, “What’re you doing?” 

There’s another awkward pause that doesn’t sit well with Noctis. He presses, “Prom? What’s going on?”

_“Nothing. I mean, not with me.”_

“So what’re you doing? Is it really more fun than playing Justice Monsters X with me?” He doesn’t _really_ want to play games—more like he wants to put one on for a few levels and distract Prompto with a series of kisses and wandering hands. But Prompto should know that part. Prompto should drop everything for him and come running.

Prompto begrudgingly admits, _“I’m... I’m sort of at the climate rally downtown?”_

It takes a second for Noctis to even place what he’s talking about. Then a few scraps of memories drift in—Ignis mentioning something like that and Gladiolus’ curt reason for postponing their training session. Noctis hadn’t paid much attention to either of them. It doesn’t sound like fun. But neither does spending one of his few days off doing nothing, so for the sake of more Prompto time, he suggests, “I can come down there and get you.”

_“Well... I should sort of stay...”_

It’s like Prompto’s being deliberately difficult. With a twinge of annoyance, Noctis asks, “If you had to go, why didn’t you invite me?”

_“I mean... do you want to? I didn’t think you cared about that stuff, since... y’know...”_

“I know what?”

_“Noct... we’re outside the Citadel...”_

It slowly drives home that Prompto was avoiding the subject because Noctis is _royal_. Which feels all sorts of wrong. Because one of the things he loves most about Prompto is that Prompto doesn’t care if he’s the prince. It makes him bristle. He tries to keep the annoyance down, but he finds himself bitterly muttering, “Fine, I’ll see you there.” And then he hangs up before Prompto can answer.

He spends a second brooding in his room, then walks back out into the living room, where Ignis is just clearing up the last of the papers on the table. Before he can leave, Noctis blocks him off and says, “I need a ride down to the Citadel.”

Ignis blinks at him. Noctis very rarely, if ever, volunteers to go there. “The Citadel?”

“Yeah. Prom’s at the climate rally. I’m gonna join him.”

For a moment, he thinks Ignis is going to scold him—tell him not to join any sort of protest-like movement in front of any royal buildings. But instead, Ignis’ expression melts, and he tells Noctis, “I’m glad you’re interested. Prompto’s proven a good influence on you.”

Noctis’ cheeks are flushing again. “You’ll drive me, then?”

“Of course not. I was planning to walk down there myself; you’re welcome to walk with me.”

Noctis blinks. “You’re going? Like, to the Citadel, or the rally?”

“The rally. I might work for the crown, but I still care a great deal about the environment, and frankly, I’m hoping to be a positive influence on the council. While they might, at first, be displeased with your presence in the crowd, ultimately, I think it’d be a wonderful thing for both them and the people to see your support in the right place. We’ll meet Gladio there.”

Noctis hadn’t even thought of how it’d look for him to be there. He follows Ignis into the hallway and shrugs on a jacket while Ignis does up his suit. Ignis continues, “I’m sure you’re only going to visit Prompto, but climate change is a huge issue that’s going to profoundly affect your future. If you’re actually interested in learning about what you can do to help, I’d be happy to educate you on the walk there.”

Disgruntled, Noctis can’t help noting, “If it’s that important, why didn’t you say anything about it sooner?”

Ignis turns a sly smile to him. “Oh, I promise, as soon as you were to gain any real power, you were going to get an earful. ...But as you currently tune out anything politically important...”

Noctis groans, “Come on! Why are you all treating me like I’m an apathetic idiot? I know what climate change is!”

Ignis gives him a look that says ‘that’s not enough’ and ‘you are an apathetic idiot.’ And it hurts, because Noctis knows it’s true. They leave the house, and Noctis locks up with a sigh. As they start walking, Ignis starts talking, and Noctis, for once, resolves to listen.


End file.
